Maintenance at Crescent City Connection ongoing after toll booths removed

Loss of toll revenue totals $7.5 million

UPDATED 12:07 AM CDT Jul 02, 2013

NEW ORLEANS, La. -

Upkeep of the Crescent City Connection and surrounding areas continues, six months after the expiration of tolls that funded some bridge services.

The smooth transition to a toll-free operation follows warnings from some government and civic leaders that conditions would deteriorate if the tolls were lifted. But officials on both sides of the river are divided on the issue of upkeep, just as they were with the vote over tolls being collected at the bridge.

For drivers like Edwin Bermudez, the daily commute across the bridge is faster than it was several months ago. "Traffic is going perfect. I mean cars just go by, and before, I used to be in traffic five or ten minutes just to pass the toll at all," he said.

Department of Transportation and Development officials said the removal of a dozen toll booths was completed Wednesday, though the plaza that housed them remains.

State police have handled patrols at the bridge since December, taking over responsibilities previously handled by the Crescent City Connection's own police department.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu supported keeping the tolls, saying eliminating them would have far reaching effects on the bridge.

In November, he stood at the foot of the bridge with other city and parish officials and said, "If the funding is not there, the lights will go off because local governments will not pick this up. And if the funding is not there, the traffic on this bridge is going to choke a horse."

But, according to Jefferson Parish President John Young, the Regional Planning Commission is funding lights along the bridge using transitional funds. He said traffic has been running smoother without the tolls in place.

"We still have the issue with the lanes near the Superdome that actually backs up the traffic, but it's not the fact that the toll booths are going to be removed," Young said.

Jefferson Parish is taking care of maintenance like mowing, landscaping and litter pick up along the Westbank Expressway. The parish has worked out an agreement with DOTD to be reimbursed for the upkeep.

"I think if you talk to most people, the grass and the areas along the elevated expressway look better than they did when the state was doing it directly, and the traffic is flowing much better," Young said.

On the Orleans Parish side, the city says it's involved in ongoing discussions with DOTD about maintenance and working to ensure the state fulfills its obligations.

As it is now, the bridge has 12 toll lanes converging into four driving lanes. Monday, DOTD officials said they are looking at several different configurations before choosing a final layout, saying whatever they choose will be the safest and most efficient option for drivers.

DOTD officials also said they do not have a time frame for when the rest of the toll plaza will be dismantled and the existing canopy removed.

DOTD has returned about half a million dollars in toll money that was collected from January through March, when a judge's ruling put a halt to the process. That ruling led to refunds for those who paid the toll past the Dec. 31 expiration of the original 30-year term.

Additionally, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed a bill that transfers about $7.5 million in toll tag deposits and other collected funds to the state treasury office for refunds.